PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Lankford Starts Day With a Beep, Then Starts Game With a Bang

Cardinals center fielder Ray Lankford’s day started at 1:45 a.m. when he was pulled over by police and given a citation for honking his horn excessively at another car.

It got worse when teammate Brian Jordan, a criminal justice major, started arguing with police. He soon was arrested, taken to jail and had to post bail.

Lankford wound up being cited for unnecessary noise, violation of a city ordinance. Jordan was arrested for interfering with an officer.

There was an initial broadcast report that Lanford and Jordan were soliciting prostitutes, which was vehemently denied.

“If you’re going to write the story,” said Lankford, “get it straight. Nobody was out chasing hookers. They were friends.”

Lankford’s day turned for the better once he arrived at Busch Stadium, however. He led off the game with a home run into the right field seats.

Jack Buck, Cardinal broadcaster and Hall of Famer, approached the Padre bench before the game, greeted a few players and asked center fielder Darrin Jackson if he’d be a guest on the radio show.

Jackson turned to his right and looked at Fred McGriff, turned to his left and looked at Tony Gwynn, then back at Buck.

“Who me?” Jackson asked incredulously.

Gwynn and McGriff burst out laughing. Buck looked puzzled and said: “What’s so funny?”

Jackson: “I don’t know, it’s just that when you’ve got a guy hitting .600 and another hitting 50 homers, I’m not the guy people want to talk to.”

Little did Buck realize his prophecy. Not only did Jackson extend his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games, but he was involved in the game’s most controversial play when first base umpire Dutch Rennert called him out in the ninth.

Replays showed that Jackson was safe by a step.

“No wonder (Buck is) in the Hall of Fame,” Jackson said, laughing.

Greg Harris, who is scheduled to start Sunday, was held out of his workout Friday because of his sore back. He will go between starts without pitching on the side.

“It’s still sore,” said Harris (1-4). “I don’t have back spasms in between starts, but I’ve really been getting them when I’ve been pitching. Hopefully, the time off between starts will do the trick.”

The Padres remain mum on who will start their game Tuesday in Chicago, but all indications are that it will be Frank Seminara. He would be making his major league debut.

Seminara is 5-2 at triple-A Las Vegas with a 3.59 ERA in 10 starts. Pitching for double-A Wichita last season, he led the Texas League with a 15-10 record and 3.38 ERA, including six complete games.

Seminara would replace Jose Melendez as the fifth starter in the rotation. Melendez and Dave Eiland have been winless in nine games this season in the fifth starter’s role.

The Padres activated reliever Gene Harris from the disqualifed list before the game, prompting Harris to say: “It’s like I came back from the dead.”

Harris, acquired May 6 by the Padres, has not pitched in a game since May 2 when he was with the Seattle Mariners. He was placed on the disqualified list when he informed the Mariners he was quitting baseball for a tryout in the NFL. He changed his mind when he was traded to the Padres.

“I can’t wait to get back in there,” Harris said. “It’s been a long time. It’s like I’ve had a vacation in the middle of the season.”

Cardinal Manager Joe Torre on Gwynn: “We’ve got to see if we can rent a car for Gwynn and slam a door on his finger.”